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NEWS Mature Forest of Crownsville’s “Hidden View Farm” Protected from Development
Landowners Richard Bradshaw and Micheal Pistole chose to put their property, named Hidden View Farm, under a conservation easement in order to ensure it would remain undeveloped, regardless of who owns it in the future. When they first visited the property in 1990, they were taken by the landscape’s beauty, and appalled at the site’s abuse. The property had historically been a dumping ground, and over 10,000 tires were piled in the fields. “We immediately were struck with the realization that this might be an overwhelming project, to purchase and more importantly, restore this property to its natural state,” said Bradshaw. Bradshaw and Pistole bought the two portions of the property, which total over 90 acres, in 1991 and 1992, and invested a great deal of time and effort in its cleanup. The developer from whom they purchased the land had intended to build a housing development with 25-30 home sites. In this area’s steep slopes and highly erodible soils, more development degrades water quality in the South River and Chesapeake Bay. Today, Hidden View Farm’s mature forest is undisturbed, and there is not a tire to be found.
SRLT's Alyssa Domzal and landowner Richard Bradshaw at Hidden View Farm. Bradshaw and Pistole were also pleased to see their years of work on the property pay off with the completion of the conservation easement. “Hidden View Farm is a lifetime project of love for both us. It adds to our joy that we were able to rescue this lovely property from devastation and development and it is our fervent hope that we will be able to somehow preserve what we perceive to be its great beauty for those that follow after us,” said Bradshaw. Ride for the Rivers Team, 2009
Cycling enthusiast Dr. Cliff Andrew of Severna Park is about to embark on a mammoth bike ride to raise money for local land preservation by cycling from the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA August 29 – September 2.
Dr. Andrew, 62, a neurologist, will complete the five day, 380 mile bike trek in support of the Scenic Rivers Land Trust (SRLT), a non-profit which protects land through voluntary methods inAnne Arundel County. Despite his busy medical practice schedule, he has served as President of SRLT for the past 15 years.
Last year, Dr. Andrew established the Ride for the Rivers event, as a solo rider, raising over $13,000 in personal donations. Those funds have enabled the Trust to continue to preserve land in the watersheds of the Patuxent, Severn, South, Rhode, and West Rivers and Herring Bay. .
This year, Dr Andrew has recruited his daughters, Amalie Andrew Ward and Hallie Andrew and fellow physician, Dr. William Hunter to join his trek. Dr. Andrew will be reaching out for sponsorship funds to his 2000 patients, physician friends, and family by old fashioned postal letter. His daughters will be soliciting 800 friends on Facebook to sponsor them. All sponsorship money raised will be matched 2 to 1 by the Biophilia Foundation, based in Annapolis.
Funds raised this year will go towards the South River Greenway Project - a combination of public and private lands identified for conservation, habitat restoration, and trail development. The South River Greenway is located in Crownsville, MD, locally bound by Crofton to the West, General’s Highway to the East, Route 50 to the South, and Severn Chapel/Waterbury Roads to the North. This area contains 6,000 acres of forest in two contiguous blocks, 800 acres of wetlands, and 100 miles of streams that flow into the South River. The Trust hopes to be able to replicate this project in the future for all the watersheds they cover which will be dependent upon donations to the charity.
Dr. Andrew noted, “I was pleased last year when a fellow physician interested in the environment and cycling learned about my 2008 solo ride and offered to join me in this year’s effort. But I was especially thrilled to learn that my two daughters share my enthusiasm for conservation enough to volunteer to pick up such a strenuous activity, and put in the training that this event entails.”
“After fifteen years, I have stepped down as the president of the SRLT, although I remain on the Board of Directors. The Trust is in the process of recruiting the next generation of volunteers and donors.. We now have many fresh new faces on the board, and my daughters’ participation represents for me the real hope that future generations will carry on and follow through on this commitment to preserve our environment.
“In medical school they taught us to ‘See one, Do one, and Show one.’ I can tell you that completing a bike trip of 380 miles for charity is gratifying, but so much more so when done with family and friends, and especially when in so doing one has the sense of passing it on to the next generation. There may still be a few more “Rides for the Rivers” left in me, but I hope there are many more like it in our children and grandchildren.”
Hallie Andrew, 23, having just relocated to Severna Park from Boston, is excited about the upcoming trip, “I’m looking forward to biking with my sister and father – it’s actually very peaceful!” Ms. Andrew said, “My father is an inspiration to our family in everything he does – once he sets his mind on something you can’t stop him. He’s so passionate on many levels, from fitness to conserving land and the environment. He’s instilled his strong love for both in all of us. I will absolutely continue to raise funds and awareness for the SRLT after this trip.”
Amalie Andrew Ward, 27, an occupational therapist originally from Severna Park now residing in Baltimore, said of the summer training rides and the imminent trip itself, “It’s been a neat progression. I wasn’t active in preserving the environment or cycling prior to my dad’s trip last year. In college I became very involved in international development and felt that is where I should focus because there are enough environmentalists and I didn’t believe it was a big issue. Since that time, I’ve come to realize that everyone needs to do their part, so that we can protect the land and the environment. Preparing for this event, I learned a great deal about SRLT and the important work that is being done for generation after generation”.
Dr. Hunter, a 66 year old retired physician, read about Dr. Andrew’s bike ride in The Capital last year. When asked why he’s joining the trek, he said, “Like Cliff, I am very serious about fitness and conservation. I only found out about Scenic Rivers Land Trust after seeing his picture in the Capital last year. I emailed him saying that if he did this again and wanted company, let me know.” Dr. Hunter is looking forward to proving some of his doubting friends wrong and completing the arduous journey! The team will be thinking of all its supporters as they cross the Eastern Continental Divide at 2392 feet on Big Savage Mountain September 1. End Forest acreage may be preserved
By E.B. FURGURSON III, Staff Writer Published January 26, 2009 If the long-term goals for the South River Greenway come to fruition, the largest remaining contiguous forest in Anne Arundel could be protected in perpetuity and enjoyed by residents for years to come. The movement to preserve a patchwork of connected properties in the South River watershed, to improve river conditions downstream and to create a regional park in the center of the county, has been quietly building over a couple of years. Last week's conference - "South River Greenway: Land, Water, People" - brought more than 75 people from various organizations together to get the ball rolling. "Four years ago I found this trail near my house leading into the woods," Rich Mason, a member of the Greenway steering committee, told attendees at Anne Arundel Community College on Thursday. "And I walked, and walked and walked on forever. It was amazing. I wanted to find out who owns it and see if we can save it." Since then he and others at the Scenic Rivers Land Trust and the South River Federation have been working to organize and recruit others to the cause. "Ultimately we want to preserve land around all of the South River's headwaters," said south River Federation President Kincey Potter. "While most of the land already protected is around Bacon Ridge Branch, we are really trying to get a beach head in the North River basin." The upper watershed of the river covers some 16,000 acres. The primary target area for initial inclusion in the Greenway covers about 6,000 acres, half of which is under some kind of protection already via public lands, county and city parks, homeowner association set-asides and BGE power line rights-of-way. The land forms subwatersheds that feed the river's four major upland tributaries: North River, Bacon Ridge Branch, Broad Creek and Tarnans Branch. Areas of the targeted Greenway include 2,400 acres of interior forest, beaver ponds, 15 types of wetlands, and many steep slopes. Part of it has been designated an "Important Bird Area" by the Audubon Society after 18 species of forest interior dwelling birds, including several at risk species, on site. The long-term goal, likely years away, is to find willing property owners to put properties under some form of easement or perhaps sell their land to add to the core already protected. Several groups are working together to implement the long-term comprehensive program that not only aims to keep the forest intact, but also repair or stabilize about 23 miles of streambeds damaged by unchecked stormwater runoff, restore and preserve habitat for fish and birds, and enhance potential light recreation in the area. Getting the public involved, both in the greenway building process and connecting back to the land, is another primary goal. Sparked by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Scenic Rivers Land Trust and the South River Federation have been working on the plans with help from federal, state, local and conservation organizations. Anne Arundel County is a major partner and owns a large chunk of the land in question. A 546-acre parcel turned over to the county from the state-owned Crownsville State Hospital property forms the core of the project. More than 400 acres on several of the properties are close to being added into the greenway, with one going to settlement next month, Recreation and Parks Director Frank Marzucco told the audience at the conference. "It is hard to believe that this kind of property still exists in Anne Arundel County," he said. "It is hard to explain how beautiful it is." He told of a hike taken on the forested property adjacent to the Crownsville site sitting west of Interstate 97, reveling in the quiet found there. "I crossed the bridge over 97 and the noise was so loud we could not hear. A few minutes later down in the woods, I said 'wait a second.' All the noise had disappeared." He announced the upcoming county budget would propose a line item for the South River Greenway land acquisition. Funding that might prove more difficult in the current economic climate. Another partner is the Biophilia Foundation, an organization committed to advancing biodiversity on private land. Impressed with the research done on the watershed by the county and others the organization looks to get landowners involved in the effort. "We hope to educate landowners to make them aware of the opportunities both financial, and to future generations," said Richard Pritzlaff, president of the foundation. "They can have a say in what happens to their land in the future." Biophilia is also looking to use the South River Greenway, if is it successful, as a model for preserving land in other areas of the country. The next steps include contacting local landowners to make them aware of the options available to them and organizing people to begin looking at stream and habitat restoration and trail improvement. Some of that will be eased when a full-time South River Greenway coordinator is hired, which could happen soon, Mr. Mason said.
SRLT SUCCESS STORY: The land, with other SERC protected properties, now forms a contiguous They say you can't keep a good man down. After sustaining a knee injury while training for a triathlon in 2006, and being hit by a car in 2007 in preparation for a bicycle century, Cliff Andrew got back up and brushed himself off. The president of the Scenic Rivers Land Trust once again went out and combined his interest in personal fitness with a passion for preservation of natural areas. Over four days in early September, cycled solo 380 miles from Washington DC to Pittsburgh PA along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Great Allegheny Trails, and in so doing raised $13,000 for the SRLT. He trained for 6 months, biking increasing distances over weekends in southern Anne Arundel County, and over back roads of the Eastern Shore. Along the way he became quite adept at fixing flat tires, a talent that was to come in handy over the first few days of his trek. After a 24 hour delay caused by a late season hurricane, he set out on Sunday September 7th at the C&O Canal Towpath trailhead in Georgetown DC. There were many downed trees over the path left from the departing storm, but the weather was now sunny and crisp heralding the coming autumn. He passed the Great Falls and rode past Antietam and Harper's Ferry, arriving after dark to spend his first night in Williamsport MD. During his second day, far from the urban landscapes of DC, wildlife was abundant. After stopping for repairs at Hancock, he passed through Green Ridge State Forest, spending his second night at the C&O terminus in Cumberland MD. The third day was spent ascending a relatively strenuous 100 ft/mi railroad grade 2400 foot Old Savage Mountain in driving rain. He did not see anyone else on the trail, other than the flocks of wild turkeys, until reaching the summit. The sign on the Eastern Continental Divide noted 'Leaving the Chesapeake Bay Watershed - Entering the Gulf of Mexico Watershed.' After passing many scenic mountain vistas the trail settled down to a gradual descent along the merging Casselman, Youghiogheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. He spent his third night sleeping along the whitewaters of Ohiopyle PA, and then completed the Great Allegheny Passage fairly easily 60 miles later in McKeesport PA. Unfortunately the trail had not yet been completed to Pittsburgh so he relied on MapQuest and local road maps in covering with some difficulty the last, and most treacherous, 30 miles mountainous urban highways. Dr Andrew met his 26-year-old daughter, Amalie, on the Hot Metal Bridge and rode the last 5 miles across the Ohio River with her and into Pittsburgh where they celebrated his 62nd birthday on September 10th. Dr. Andrew's Chesapeake to Ohio Run was done to raise much-needed funds for the land preservation efforts of the Scenic Rivers Land Trust, the non profit organization for which he serves as president. At last count he had received $4,330 in donations from 91 individuals. With the generous 2:1 Biophilia match, his 4-day ordeal netted a cool $13,000 for the Trust, along with an 8 pound weight loss for the good doctor. On being asked of his plans for next year, he stated that he is not quite sure: He plans to either break down and ship his bike to Pittsburgh, continuing on from there to points west' But he would be interested in repeating the Chesapeake to Ohio Run if 2 or 3 other (fool)hearty individuals would like to join him in the effort. Please contact him..."
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